My 97 SE came with an aftermarket head unit. I didn't like it because all the local stations came in staticky, so I went to Wallyworld and dumped $50 on a Dual XDM260. Of course, this was back before I knew anything about these cars or even automotive electronics. Anyways, I still had the static issue on half the local stations. Also, the volume only goes up to 45, but you can barely hear anything until it's around 35 and that's still low. Any higher than 37 and the sound will cut out for a second or two, and keep doing this until you turn the volume down. It doesn't matter if the bass is high or not.

Fast forward to last fall. I noticed the front (original) speakers were getting super crackly, so I replaced them with a pair of Pioneer TSA1683R 4 way 6.5" that can handle 280 Watts of power - way more than the 15W X 4 that the head unit puts out. While the crackling went away, there's no real difference in volume and sound quality in comparison.

So basically, I'm just trying to actually be able to enjoy my music. It's a 37 mile drive to work and then back home, about 45 minutes on a good day, and I'd like to resolve this issue without breaking the bank. Any and all ideas, suggestions etc are welcome.

 

Bose or non? Why not invest in small amp or better HU?

 

what this newbie said.

 

I'm going to safely assume that my car didn't come with Bose, as there is no indication of it, nor are there any logos on the original speakers or speaker covers, which I noticed in other vehicles.

I am planning to get a better HU, but I don't want the same wiring issues, or whatever is causing the poor radio reception and the whine when I use the aux.

 

Sounds like a short somewhere...

 

Does the sound quality differ with a cd or something? Could be the antena if it's only happening with the radio? And as far as some descent front speakers go I had some Kenwood exalons put in and they sound great imo. A 4 channel amp might help too depending on what kind of power your speakers can handle.